Wall and ceiling construction



F b. 6, 1934. v c. PIAZZA 1,945,564

WALL AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 15, 1931 III v I Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES WALL AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION Louis C. Piazza, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Soundex Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 15,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to wall and ceiling construction and concerns itself, primarily, with the construction for walls and ceilings employing preformed slabs or plates.

In the application of pre-formed slabs or plates in the erection of a wall or ceiling, certain factors vital to successful construction must obtain. To enumerate, it is essential that rapidity, simplicity and certainty of application of the slabs be secured. The first of these factors reduces to a minimum the overhead and labor costs. The second factor permits application by unskilled labor, and the third assures proper alignment-of the slabs so that the visible surface of the wall or ceiling is smooth and unbroken.

This invention, therefore, has for an object the provision of a slab or plate adapted for use as a covering material in the construction of walls and ceilings so designed that rapid, easy and proper assembly is insured.

A further object is the provision of a slab or plate of covering material for walls and ceilings comprising bracket means by which application of said slabs may easily be effected.

Another object resides in a novel means and mode of assembly of covering slabs in the erection of a wall or ceiling.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a ceiling construction employing the covering slabs of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the covering slabs.

Figure 3 is a detail in perspective of clip means adapted to be utilized in the erection of walls and ceilings.

Figure 4 is a partial sectional View taken on line %4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing the numeral designates in its entirety a portion of a cell- 45 ing construction. It is to be understood that while a ceiling has been chosen to illustrate the application of this invention its applicability is not limited to a ceiling. For example, a wall or partition may as readily be erected with the novel slabs and in the novel manner hereinafter set forth.

Each of the slabs designated by the numeral 11 is preferably, though not necessarily, of such length as to span the distance between a plurality of supporting members. The slab or covering 1931. Serial No. 569,085

plate is formed preferably so as to possess both sound and heat insulating qualities and consists, generally, of wood fibres pressed into slabs or plates and held together by suitable adhesive binding substances. As far as the invention is concerned, however, the particular construction of the covering slabs or plates is not material. Each of the covering slabs is provided with a plurality of spaced brackets such as 12 and 13 spaced a uniform distance apart, the number of brackets on any one slab depending upon the length of such slab. The brackets are so secured upon the cover slabs that engagement between said brackets and one face of the slabs is obtained. The ends of the brackets extend beyond opposite sides of the slab in the form of tongues 14 and 15. The brackets, additionally, are provided with tongues 16 and 1'7 turned substantially at right angles from the main portion of the brackets in overlapping engagement with opposed side edges of the covering slabs and adapted to receive staples or the like for securing said brackets to the slabs or plates.

In the erection of a wall or ceiling construction a plurality of uniformly spaced furring strips 18, 19, 20, and so on, are first fixed to a supporting surface such as is indicated at 21 by means of bolts or the like (not shown). The number of furring strips utilized will depend, of course, upon the size of the wall or ceiling to be erected or covered. In the instant embodiment of the invention it is preferred that the furring strips take the form of flat plates such as more clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing. After the furring strips have been positioned in spaced relation to the supporting member 21 one row of covering plates 11 is applied to said furring strips in such a manner that the brackets, such as 12 and 13, extend parallel to said strips- It is to be understood, of course, that where a side edge of a slab is to abut a wall the tongues such as 14 will be removed to permit proper abutment. This is indicated in Figure 1, although for the sake of illustration of the slabs no wall is shown. In the positioning of the cover plates the brackets are placed in abutting relation with the furring strips and lie on one side of the center line of each strip. The covering slabs in this row are then secured to the furring strips by means of clips 22, illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, which engage the brackets and side strips as shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing. It is to be understood that in lieu of such clips other fastening means, such as wires, may as readily be employed to fasten the covering plates in position. A second row of the covering plates 11 is then applied to the furring strips in such manner that the tongues extending from one side of the covering slabs project in slideable interlocking engagement with the covering plates of the first row to support said side of the latter plates directly from the plates in the former row. The tongues of the cover plates in the second row extending from the opposite side of said plates are then secured in contacting relationship with the furring strips by means of the clips 22. This process is continued until a complete structure is erected. Attention is invited to the fact that in such erection the brackets in adjacent rows of cover plates lie on opposite sides of the center line of the furring strips. By this arrangement overlapping of the adjacent tongues of brackets secured to adjacent covering plates is avoided and uniform spacing of said cover plates from the furring strips is insured. A smooth unbroken surface is, consequently, obtained. After erection of the wall or ceiling construction a workmanlike and pleasing finish may be obtained by the use of molding strips such as indicated at 23.

From the foregoing, it is believed apparent that a wall or ceiling construction may be erected rapidly and simply with the assurance that a workmanlike structure will be obtained. It is to be observed that by means of the covering slabs or plates utilized and in view of the mode of erection of said plates that the use of nails or screws or like fastening means is entirely avoided, efiecting a great savings in the time of application. The slab finds its greatest utility when used in structures having a span not exceeding the length of the slab, although it is to be understood that its employment is not so limited. The preferred, though by no means the limiting length of the slab, is eight feet and where the slabs can be used to cover spans not exceeding the length thereof, such application is desirable. It is to be understood, furthermore, that while brackets 12 and 13 have hereinbefore been referred to as exemplary of the brackets which may be used to secure the covering slabs to a supporting structure, the number of such brackets attached to each slab will normally be greater than two.

I claim:

1. A wall or ceiling construction comprising, in

combination, a plurality of spaced parallel furring strips, a plurality of covering slabs extending transversely of said furring strips, spaced brackets secured to said slabs, diagonally opposite portions of said brackets projecting beyond said slabs, said brackets being arranged in parallel relationship with their corresponding furring strips, one of said diagonally opposite portions of each of said brackets being supported from a furring strip and the other of said portions being supported by an adjacent slab.

2. A covering material comprising a sound insulating slab, a plurality of brackets secured to said slab, each of said brackets including a flat strip of metal extending transversely of said slab and projecting beyond the opposite edges thereof, said projections being slit to provide tongues, diagonally opposite tongues lying in overlapping relationship with said edges and staples extending through said overlapping tongues and into said slab whereby to firmly secure said brackets to said slab.

3. In a wall or ceiling construction, in combination, a plurality of spaced parallel supporting members, a plurality of covering slabs, spaced brackets provided on each of said slabs extending in parallel relation to said supporting members beyond opposite edges of said slabs, the extensions of said brackets lying under and contiguous to the underside of said supporting members, and means engaging said extensions and said members to secure said slabs to said members.

4. In a wall of ceiling construction, in combination, a plurality of spaced parallel supporting members, a plurality of covering slabs extending transversely of said supporting members, spaced brackets provided on each of said slabs extending parallel to said supporting members beyond opposite edges of said slabs and in abutting relationship with the undersides of said members, and clips securing said brackets to said supporting members, the brackets on adjacent slabs in adjacent rows transverse to said supporting members lying on opposite sides of the center line of said members.

LOUIS C. PIAZZA. 

